Outdoor Learning Center
Outdoor Survival
Which of the following can you survive without for the longest time: water, food, or a positive mental attitude? The answer may surprise you. Guide learners of all ages through games, activities, and discussions about surviving in the...
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Illinois Wild
Sixth graders identify different animals native to Illinois. They research a specific animal to study more about its characteristics, examine what makes a habitat, and recognize the difference between a food web and food chain.
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Plants and Animals
Seventh graders discover the interconnectedness of plants and animals in ecosystems. In groups, they create a food web and discuss the problems when one link of the chain is broken. To end the lesson, they set up a balanced environment...
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Global Hunger and Malnutrition
Is there a difference between hunger and malnutrtion? Is this a problem only in third world countries? How does hunger and malnutrition affect the community? Why do these problems exist when the world produces enough food to feed...
New York Public Library
What's for Lunch?: New York City Restaurant Menus
Do you remember the days when a cup of coffee cost five cents? At A.W. Dennett restaurant in 1894, you could buy a five-cent cup of coffee and as well as a five-cent slice of pie to accompany it. The menu from that year is a primary...
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Dig In
Students identify where vegetables originate from. In this agriculture lesson plan, students use a search engine to find out where certain vegetables originate from. Students plot the information onto a world map.
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Aquatic Science
What a terrific way to explore the pond habitat! Learners discuss the animal and plant life found in the Long Island area. They also discuss vocabulary terms, identify pollution concerns, and resource conservation.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar
A good book deserves to be followed up by a good worksheet. Here is a great resource which is intended for use after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It includes several activity ideas that promote skill development in...
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Iron For Breakfast
Third graders are challenged to use scientific thinking, they experiment and observe which objects are attracted to a magnet. Pupils use the evidence to construct an explanation as to what common property the objects attracted to a...
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Nutrition Lesson Plan
Second graders complete a survey as class answering the question: "Did you eat breakfast this morning?". They place a tally mark in the column that best represents their answer. They then discuss the results in the graph.
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Lesson Plan for Cricket's Supper
Interested in a special folktale to read with your class? Then this instructional activity might be for you. Readers will build an understanding of the food chain while creating a storyboard that includes the characters, setting, and...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Leaf Litter Ecology Lab
Some organisms spend their entire lives in leaf litter. The third in a series of six is a great lesson exploring the community of leaf litter. Groups gather and then spread leaf litter over white paper and remove leaves/twigs while...
Population Connection
The Peopling of Our Planet
How many people live on the planet, anyway? The first resource in a six-part series covers the topic of the world population. Scholars work in groups to conduct research and make population posters after learning about the global...
Shakespeare in American Life
Tom Hanks and Caliban: Survivor Superstars
Here’s a clever way to combine language arts and social studies. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed to have been inspired by the wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609. The class views a brief scene from Castaway in which Tom...
California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
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Will There Be Subsistence Farmers in the 21st Century?: Feeding the World
Students examine the topic of subsistence farming. They research the future of subsistence agriculture, identify the types and locations of subsistence agriculture, and write about subsistence farming in regards to developing nations and...
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A Photosynthesis Timeline
Science learners discover that scientific advancements come in increments. Beginning as an idea, changes and developments are influenced by available resources and current societal values. As an example, pupils examine the conclusions...
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A Taste of Korea: A Chemistry-Geography Adventure
Students explore the different aspects of Korean culture. In this geography lesson, students prepare different Korean dishes in the classroom. They create a visual display of things they learned about Korean culture.
Desert Discoveries
What's For Dinner?
Youngsters compare the teeth of plant-eating dinosaurs with those of meat-eating dinosaurs. The concepts of herbivore vs. carnivore are also introduced. There is an excellent worksheet embedded in the plan which shows five skulls of...
Curated OER
Endangered Ecosystems
Reading comprehension and note-taking skills are practiced as young ecologists embark on this journey. Explorers visit a website where they will read about three ecosystems that are in danger. They use interactive programs to build a...
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Nuts for Peanuts: Peanut Plants, Peanut Timeline, and Peanut-s-timation!
Students complete a timeline. In this peanuts lesson, students read A Short Peanut History and use this resource to make a timeline of the history of the peanut. Students can grow peanuts in the classroom or make various peanut recipes.
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A Design You’ll Dig: Designing a Habitat for Worms
Students discover how worms contribute to the balance of the environment. In this composting lesson, students study the composting and decomposition processes. Students then create habitats for worms that allow them to do their jobs.
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Babysitting and Child Care
The first job most of us ever experienced, was babysitting. Prepare young adults for the responsibilities of child care with Babysitting 101. They'll discuss safety, food preparation, and the that responsibilities babysitting entails....
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Career Trek: Agricultural Careers
What is agriscience and could it hold a potential career opportunity? Learners define agriscience and explore careers that involve both agriculture and natural resource fields. The instructional activity includes several web links, a...